After two consecutive months of sluggish performance, the pond-side prices of Chinese tilapia are still lingering below the cost line, and the tension between farmers and processing enterprises has gradually intensified. According to market monitoring, in the 35th week of 2025 (August 25–31), tilapia prices in major aquaculture areas of China remained stable. However, the prolonged low prices have overwhelmed farmers.
In Guangdong Province, the price of tilapia (500–800g) delivered to processing plants stood at 7.30 yuan per kilogram (approximately 1.02 US dollars). In Hainan and Guangxi, the price also remained unchanged from the previous week at 7.40 yuan per kilogram. Nevertheless, this price level is below the break-even point (about 7.6 yuan per kilogram, excluding early fixed investments) for most farmers, meaning the majority of aquaculture households are still operating at a loss.
Since July, Chinese processing plants have barely received any substantial orders from the United States. Insufficient demand for raw materials has kept pond-side prices depressed, triggering strong dissatisfaction among farmers. Some farmers have directly expressed their discontent on social media platforms, accusing processing plants of deliberately suppressing prices.
One farmer commented angrily, "Processing plants are just trying to cut their own costs by pushing the price this low." Another added, "They are still buying fish every day, which means there are still orders. But when foreign buyers hear that Chinese processing plants offer low prices, they also lower the prices for their orders."
Some farmers have voiced another kind of helplessness: "I still have tens of thousands of catties of fish in my ponds that I can’t sell—processing plants simply can’t absorb this much. Last year, these fish would have been sold out by now. Now the fish are growing bigger and bigger, and I’ve even stopped feeding them for half a month."
In response to the accusations, processors have also expressed their helplessness. A senior executive from a Guangdong-based processing plant pointed out, "We have no orders from the US, but we haven’t completely stopped purchasing fish. The problem is that the stock of frozen products is piling up, and our factories barely have any space left to take in more fish."
A person in charge of a Hainan enterprise admitted, "The situation here is similar to that in Guangdong. With the global economy in a slump, the market simply can’t absorb such a large supply in the short term."
Meanwhile, in the 34th week, wholesale prices in the US market showed a divergent trend. Data indicates that for frozen tilapia fillets imported from China, the prices of large-sized (7–9 oz) "water-added" and "chemical-free" products both dropped by 0.05 US dollars per pound, while small-sized (3–7 oz) products remained stable.
Industry insiders analyze that this adjustment reflects the continued weakness in demand from the US foodservice sector—even in the face of low prices, buyers are hesitant to place orders easily. Although the temporary tariff buffer agreement between China and the US has been extended by 90 days (until November 10), maintaining a 55% tariff rate, the high tax burden still keeps US importers cautious.
Domestically, the price of raw materials has approached or even fallen below farmers’ break-even point. Industry insiders worry that if US demand fails to recover soon, China’s tilapia industry chain may face greater pressure from capital shortages and inventory backlogs.
Pls contact us for tilapia fillets or tilapia wgs orders:
Blue Sea Fishery Co., Ltd.
www.blueseafishery.cn
E-mail: sales@blueseafishery.cn
Wechat: DORIS85789
Tel: 0086-131-5609-5220
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